Melbourne-based Triple J Unearthed 2013 winner REMI has taken great strides with his first full-length offering, Raw x Infinity, a confident, progressive and accomplished debut album from a promising young artist.

REMI’s flow is easy and erudite. His lyrics are deep and intelligent, and the album as a whole demands multiple listens to really appreciate the ideas he’s exploring. There are times when he falls back on ‘swagger’, a la album midway marker Tyson, but it never kills the overall vibe.

In fact the cohesiveness of the record’s shifting styles is one of its most impressive attributes. The somewhat aggressive pace on the album opening title track bares its UK hip hop influences, while still settling in easily next to the more conversational Aus hip hop style of older track Sangria (a bonus track here).

Production is ably handled by Dutch and Sensible J and all parties shows a proclivity for experimentation, with a number of beats bordering on the abstract at times. There’s a lot here for fans of indie hip hop to get excited about.